“Being ok with what my body is, accepting this is me.” Para swimming champion & Wheel Black, Cameron Leslie’s journey from Whangārei’s local pools getting some filthy looks, to triumph on the world stage is an inspiration. The quadruple amputee, is heading to his 4th Paralympics or the ‘big dance’ as he calls it. From being soundly beaten and on th…

Motocross World Champion, Courtney Duncan has done what no other female kiwi rider has done, win a World Championship title multiple times. Being on top of the podium, four times in five years, you’d think the 28 year old from Otago, would be able to kick back a bit. But from the outset this trailblazer has been determined, setting her sights highe…

"You made it impossible not to pick you". Those were the words Dame Noeline Taurua said to Karin Burger upon selection to the Netball's Silver Ferns. Karin's journey here began when she moved to New Zealand as an 18 year old on a gap year from South Africa. Now the netball star has clocked up 50 tests for the Ferns & turned 30. Her dream to play fo…

Now we’ve had a chance to reflect on the history making magic of Football Ferns and the FIFA Women’s World Cup, I chat to Football Ferns star defender Claudia Bunge now playing for HB Koge in Demark. She reveals how Auckland's traffic nearly unravelled their first game against Norway at a sold out Eden Park and how she hopes the Ferns have inspired…

“I’ve never been the most talented athlete or most athletic football player, the thing I can do is work hard.” With the biggest women’s sporting event in the world here in New Zealand, the FIFA World Cup, we catch up with Football Ferns Goalkeeper Vic Esson. Her story is remarkable. After playing with the U17 & U20 squad she dropped out of the High…

That trademark winning smile is back. Seven years since pole vaulter Eliza McCartney won a bronze medal at the Olympics, the 26 year old's launched a comeback to the sport she loves. Plagued with injuries it's been a rocky road but she was determined not to give up. Incredibly, it meant a year of learning how to walk again. Her patience paid off wi…

Young gun cricketer Fran Jonas is just 18 and part of a new wave of White Ferns inspiring a new generation in the sport. With a watershed pay equity deal by New Zealand Cricket granting females the same match fees as their male counterparts, Fran says it’s an exciting time. She grew up playing cricket with the boys until she was 10. Her Dad who’d n…

When told she wasn't welcome at football training with the boys in Gisborne, upcoming 16 year old New Zealand representative Renee Holmes was devastated. Instead of packing it in, she picked herself up & took a huge risk switching codes, from football, to rugby. It was the best decision she ever made. Seven years later she is a proud World Champion…

“High Performance sport is dangerous. It’s dangerous to be in that limelight, you get addicted to it. Your identity is wrapped up in these things. It’s a golden window of your life and it won’t last forever.” New Zealand Canoe sprint star Aimee Fisher has one dream in her heart, a dream she’s had since she was a child. To be the best in the world. …

“Go on girls, go and get what’s yours.” The spine-tingling exchange between Gold medal rower, Emma Twigg & Black Ferns star Ruby Tui as the Rugby Sevens hit the field for their epic Olympic Final. A hugely popular player, Ruby’s made a name for herself on and off the field after her hilarious post match viral interviews and for shining a light on M…

When the Covid Pandemic began, 18 year old Kiwi Alpine Ski Race Champion, Alice Robinson realised she needed to leave New Zealand to continue to compete on the international stage. For two years she trained around the world through the chaos of Covid, until she also contracted Coronavirus, in the midst of a competition, having hit a career high pla…

Breaking down barriers is something Kiwi Rally driver Emma Gilmour’s been doing for decades. As a young rising star, she realised she was never going to be one of the boys, so she set about forging her motorsport career as one of few woman in a male dominated sport. Signing a deal with McLaren has been a dream come true for Emma and marks the first…

Emma Twigg’s story is one of resilience & endurance. Already a world champion rower, with more accolades that can be counted in her long stellar career, Emma gave up after her third Olympics having failed to medal yet again. Her comeback began when she realised she still had a passion for the sport. In just getting to the Tokyo Olympics, she faced …

"It made me feel I wasn't alone." Star shooter, Silver Ferns Maia Wilson reveals being overwhelmed by the huge outpouring of support for her heartfelt Instagram post, revealing her longtime struggles with body image. By 19 years of age, Maia had represented New Zealand in both basketball and netball. Turning down a US Basketball Scholarship, just o…

I chat to teenage swimming sensation Erika Fairweather on not only making the Toyko Olympics at just 17 years old but also an Olympic final. "I realised I am good enough." The Dunedin head girl at Kavanagh College tells me how she literally shakes all the nerves out before a big race & shares her mindset on coming back from disappointment. Fairweat…

I chat to New Zealand swimming star, Lewis Clareburt about the Tokyo Olympics, the moment he knew he wanted to be up there with the greatest, and how he became a Tiktok sensation. Lewis speaks frankly about how hard it is to be a competitive swimmer through the big highs and big lows. How he almost gave up and what kept him going. He reveals what h…